This is Med reviews: eco-catamaran, sailboat and whether it is worth it
Verdict: the cheapest catamaran hour in the port (from €14–16), on big, busy boats sold under several brand names; its two-hour catamaran from Marina Vela is the product to book — 6.5/10.
ⓘ Note: we are not This is Med We are not This is Med or its official website. This is an independent review based on public sources; some links are affiliate links (GetYourGuide, Tiqets, Headout).Tickets and tours to book
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Barcelona: Sunset & Day Catamaran Cruise with Tapas & Drinks
4.5 (3,545 reviews)
from €27Check dates
Verdict: 6.5 out of 10
This is Med is the company behind the "eco-catamaran" and the wooden sailboats that leave from the Moll de les Drassanes, next to Las Golondrinas and Catamaran Orsom. The legal entity is MED Travel Ventures, S.L., and its website signs off as "This Is Med by Julià": Julià Travel sells the same boats as "our fleet", Tiqets lists Julia Travel as the provider, and the quayside kiosk has also traded as City Sailing Barcelona. By volume it is probably the best-selling shared-boat operator on the booking platforms. It offers the cheapest catamaran hour in the port, with music and a bar, but on high-capacity boats. The best thing in its range is something else: the two-hour, 30-passenger catamaran from Marina Vela.
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price and transparency | 7/10 | From €14–16 an hour; but the same sailing changes name and price depending on who sells it. |
| Flexibility | 7/10 | Free cancellation up to 24 or 48 hours depending on channel; weather cancellations get a new date or a refund. |
| Public reputation | 7/10 | 4.7 on Google (1,282 reviews); 3.9 to 4.8 on the platforms depending on the product. |
| Experience | 6/10 | Good music and a friendly crew; packed upper deck and bow on a boat that takes up to 150. |
| Reliability | 6/10 | Named company and a visible Julià link; but overlapping brands, unsourced ratings on its site and "eco" claims without published certification. |
| Overall | 6.5/10 | Mean of the five criteria, rounded to the nearest 0.5. |
Good fit for
- Anyone who wants an hour at sea with music and a drink for little more than Las Golondrinas costs.
- Families on the wooden sailboat: according to its site, children up to 12 ride free.
- Couples willing to pay a bit more for the two-hour Marina Vela catamaran: 30 people max, a tapa, a drink and a swim stop on daytime sailings.
Not for
- Anyone after a quiet sail: the eco-catamaran is a big, lively boat, not a sailing outing.
- Crowd-haters: the bow and upper deck fill up.
- Anyone wanting to pay cash at the bar: cards only.
Fact file
| Company | MED TRAVEL VENTURES, S.L. (tax ID B66627605), listed in the Mercantile Register. Its site presents itself as "This Is Med by Julià" and links to Grupo Julià's ethics channel |
|---|---|
| Founded | Not published (its site copyright dates from 2020) |
| Base | This is Med – Colón kiosk on the Moll de les Drassanes; office at Marina Vela (Passeig Joan de Borbó 103, unit 06); another base in Cambrils |
| Catalan tourism registration | Not published |
| What it sells | One-hour eco-catamaran (day and sunset), wooden sailboat with drinks or live music, two-hour catamaran from Marina Vela, private charters |
| Official price | From €16 (eco-catamaran) to €42 (two-hour catamaran); private charters from €390 |
| Where to book | thisismed.com, juliatravel.com, the quayside kiosk, GetYourGuide, Tiqets and Headout |
| Public ratings | 4.7/5 on Google Maps (1,282 reviews, Columbus kiosk) · Tiqets, provider Julia Travel: 4.4/5 eco-catamaran (98), 4.1/5 sunset with live music (44), 3.9/5 sailboat with open bar (37), 4.8/5 Marina Vela catamaran (10) |
Ratings read on the review date. Its site shows scores of 4.7 to 4.9 from thousands of reviews without naming the source; we don't treat them as independent. We found no operator page on Tripadvisor.
What it sells and what it costs
| Sailing | Length | Official site | Tiqets | GetYourGuide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime eco-catamaran (Eco Tour / Chill Out) | 60 min | €16 | €14 | €14 (day or sunset catamaran with music) |
| Sunset eco-catamaran | 60 min | €25 | €16 (with live music) | |
| Wooden sailboat with drinks | 75 min | €21 · children up to 12 free | €17 | €17 |
| Sunset sailboat with live music | 90 min | €26 | unavailable on the review date | — |
| Exclusive catamaran with tapa and drink (Marina Vela) | 120 min | €42 | €27 | €27 |
The honest maths: here it's the other way round from most operators. On the review date, the "from" prices on Tiqets and GetYourGuide were lower than the official site's: €14 vs €16 for the catamaran hour, €17 vs €21 for the sailboat and €27 vs €42 for the two-hour catamaran. That may reflect seasonal or time-of-day fares, so compare your exact date and time before paying, but don't assume the operator's own site is cheapest.
On Tiqets these products are sold with Julia Travel as the provider. GetYourGuide doesn't show supplier names; the listings we link have their meeting point at the same Drassanes kiosk (or Marina Vela, for the two-hour trip) and match on boat, length and price, but confirm on the listing before you book.
What each includes: the wooden sailboat (a Turkish gulet) has an open bar capped at three drinks per person: water, soft drinks, beer, sangria and wine. The eco-catamaran has a pay bar only, cards only. The Marina Vela catamaran includes a drink and a tapa, and daytime trips stop for a swim with inflatables. Live music at sunset is seasonal: its site says July to September, while Tiqets advertises June to late October.
Official prices from thisismed.com; platform prices are "from" prices read on the review date. Platforms change their prices often.
The best and the worst
Recurring patterns on Google, Tiqets and Headout, not one-off stories.
The best
- Good music and a good vibe, especially at sunset.
- A friendly crew, mentioned often.
- The wooden sailboat wins people over with the boat itself and the Aperol on board.
- A low entry price for an hour on a catamaran.
The worst
- Bar prices, a recurring complaint.
- Crowding on the upper deck and bow: the eco-catamaran takes up to 150 people.
- The "eco" label questioned by at least one reviewer who wasn't convinced on board.
- Brand confusion: many travellers can't tell whether they bought Julià, City Sailing or This is Med.
The small print
- Cancellation: depends on the channel. Julià's FAQ says free up to 24 hours ahead; Tiqets, up to 48 hours; Headout, up to 24 hours. Go by the terms of the site you buy from.
- Weather: if a sailing is cancelled, you're offered another day or a full refund.
- Arrival: check in 30 minutes before. The assigned vessel can change "due to operational needs", per its site.
- Food and drink: no outside food or drink. Payment on board by card only.
- Children: free up to 12 on the wooden sailboat; the eco-catamaran has a children's play area, according to Tiqets.
- Accessibility: Julià states that all its boats are accessible, although some resellers exclude the upper deck for wheelchairs. Tiqets flags the eco-catamaran trips as accessible but not the sailboat or the Marina Vela catamaran: confirm before booking.
- Pets: allowed on a lead and muzzled, according to Julià.
- The "eco" part: Julià describes a solar-assisted sailing catamaran and says 1 kg of plastic is removed from the Mediterranean per ticket. We have not seen a published certification backing this up.
Traps and how to avoid them
How to book for less
- The eco-catamaran hour: Tiqets from €14 with cancellation up to 48 hours ahead, or the sunset version with live music from €16. On GetYourGuide, the day or sunset catamaran with music starts at €14 and has over 7,000 reviews.
- The wooden sailboat: GetYourGuide or Tiqets, from €17, below the official €21. With children up to 12, compare with the official site, where they ride free.
- The best product, the two-hour trip: GetYourGuide or Tiqets from €27, against €42 on the official site.
- Official site: thisismed.com is the route for private charters (the Barefoot sailboat from €390, catamarans from €1,250) and events.
- To compare with every other boat, see our Barcelona boat tours guide; for something louder, our boat party guide.
Alternatives
Frequently asked questions
Is This is Med legit?
Yes: the company (MED Travel Ventures, S.L.) publishes its tax ID and registry details, its site presents itself as "This Is Med by Julià" and its Columbus kiosk scores 4.7 on Google from more than 1,200 reviews. Complaints are about crowding and bar prices, not failed bookings.
Are This is Med and Julià Travel the same?
In practice they sell the same boats: Julià presents them as its fleet and Tiqets sells them with Julia Travel as provider. This is Med's site signs off "by Julià". We could not confirm the exact ownership structure.
This is Med or Catamaran Orsom?
This is Med is cheaper (from €14–16 an hour) and more of a party, on high-capacity boats. Orsom costs €18.50–28 for 90 minutes on an 80-seat catamaran that actually sails, with live jazz.
Can I cancel?
Yes: free up to 24 hours ahead with Julià and Headout, and up to 48 hours ahead on Tiqets. If weather cancels the sailing, you're offered another day or a full refund.
Where do I board?
The one-hour trips and the sailboat leave from the kiosk on the Moll de les Drassanes, by the Columbus monument. The two-hour catamaran leaves from Marina Vela, Passeig Joan de Borbó 103.
Is there an open bar?
Only on the wooden sailboat with drinks, capped at three drinks per person. On the eco-catamaran the bar is pay-as-you-go and cards only.
Two hours, 30 people and a tapa
If you're going to pick one This is Med boat, make it the Marina Vela catamaran: fewer people, a swim stop by day and, on the review date, a platform price well below the official one.
See the two-hour catamaran